I have this theory that the people who hate on Hartford are not much different from those who claim to be bored-to-death with either their hometowns or the state of Connecticut in general. Growing up, I did not go to summer camp, nor did I have a whole lot of other structured activities. Inspired by the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder and various survival guides, I became obsessed with building forts with my brother out in the woods when we were not doing chores like hauling brush. I am proud to not have had an ultra-scheduled childhood of going from soccer game to gymnastics practice to SAT tutoring, or whatever it is so many kids have to endure. It forced me to be creative without an adult telling me how to use my time. As an adult, I find it fairly easy to find relaxation and entertainment, whether I am at home in Hartford, visiting New York or Boston, or traveling through less developed areas
My summer has been highlighted by day trips here and there, because of work and money, and also because I take my “actual vacation” to Provincetown in October every year. In June, I went to Boston with a friend to celebrate my birthday (which I’d been dreading for months previously) at Fenway. It’s now an official tradition . Whenever I go to a Red Sox game for my birthday, they lose, miserably. It was a shut-out and my favorite player—Mike Lowell—had two errors in the game. That should tell you how bad it was. We stayed at a family member’s house just outside the city. The next day we meant to explore Boston, but it was (or felt like) the hottest day of the year, and in the interest of not dying from heat exhaustion, we ended our wanderings early. Thankfully, there was a train that we could jump on from Coolidge Corner, rather than walk all the way back to the South Station. Imagine that—reliable, inexpensive, and non-confusing transportation! If you have not seen it, this train runs down the middle of the road. Before succumbing to the heat (we were sweating while sitting still, in the shade!), we went into a Russian bookstore. I assumed it would be some books in Russian and the rest just about Russia. I was so wrong! There was nothing there that I could read, and everyone in the shop was speaking Russian. I was thrilled, but was secretly hoping nobody would try to talk to me. That I can’t instantly speak twelve languages has always been such a disappointment to me. The owner of a pizza shop my family patronized regularly while I was growing up could speak and read six languages! He always had a few different newspapers out for diners to look through, including one that was either Greek or Turkish! I have raging jealousy of people who are fluent in more than one language. I can only decipher Spanish, and it is a slow process for me, and probably painful for Spanish-speakers to witness.
If I ever leave Hartford, it will be for Alaska or Boston. You can quote me on that.
My other exit from Connecticut was a day at Misquamicut in Westerly, Rhode Island. I had managed to live my entire life in Connecticut without ever spending more than an hour in the neighboring state until this summer. The beach was nice, but there were too many people. My idea of relaxation is pretty much the opposite of being within arm’s length of a stranger while I’m wearing a bathing suit. Being that naked in public should only happen at a distance, where I’m a blur. They do have a bar next to the beach, and sitting there listening to 80’s music and drinking weak strawberry daiquiris was fun, even though rum is satan. Down the road is a seafood shack where kids were trying to catch crabs at an adjacent pond. I don’t eat meat, so I enjoyed their coleslaw and french fries.
I never went to a beach by the ocean during the summer season until I was twelve or thirteen. My parents have always tried to get away from other people on vacation (see where I get it from), so my trips to the beach were in the off-season to collect shells. This summer, I also went to Hammonasset in Madison. I wanted to say that I went twice, but once was technically before the summer season. Working on a college schedule skews my sense of time, so I tend to think of early May as the beginning of summer. When I had taken the trip then, the beach was cold and there were few people. When I went back a few days ago, there were more people, yet it was not densely populated like Misquamicut. I attempted some of the nature walk, but by that point, the mosquitoes were in full force and my plans were thwarted.
Mostly, I stayed closer to home, taking cheaper trips where there were no fees for parking. I can’t tell you how many times I went up to the West Hartford reservoirs, which are off of Route 4 and Route 44. The one off Route 4 (continue up Farmington Avenue through West Hartford Center and past the Stop & Shop) seems to be much more popular, as there are paved trails used by bikes and those strollers built for two children. It’s an easy walk, yet too crowded, and with a number of people insistent on using cell phones for extended conversations, the beaten path is not the place to find your moment of zen. What can be done about this is to simply get off the main paved trails. There are a few picnic tables located off dirt paths, and while on those trails, I have seen only a handful of people. To amp up the experience, one can forgo the paths altogether and try climbing up steep embankments through brush, poison ivy, and downed trees. In these areas (which I am obligated to say are forbidden to walk in), you can find cool vines. One day, I saw six woodpeckers in a quieter section of the reservoir. The other reservoir, off Route 44, experiences less traffic and also has picnic tables.
One of my new favorite places is Talcott Mountain State Park. It’s not much of a drive from Hartford, and there’s a great view to be had for little effort. The entrance to the park is off 185 in Simsbury, basically across the street from Penwood State Park in Bloomfield, which is what to look for because it’s a sneaky entrance. Watch for cyclists if you are driving up 185 because the road is windy and somewhat narrow. I was able to haul from the parking area to the tower and back down within an hour, but that was without stopping for long, and I don’t recommend speed-hiking since that ruins the experience, in my opinion. On subsequent visits, I slowed down the pace. The first ten minutes or so of the hike is someone steep, though not particularly dangerous. If you are bringing children, this is probably the time when they will whine about their legs hurting. After that, the rest is fairly level, with more gradual inclines. There’s a strange popping sound that I kept hearing, which I am curious about. If anyone knows what that is, please tell me. One one trip, I saw a bright orange lizard. On another, I saw hawks.
Heublein Tower has stairs inside which remind me of the staircases in my old high school; it’s not a spiral staircase. There are also landings where you can rest if the stairs are too much of you. From the top, I could see Mount Tom and the Meriden cliffs. Allegedly, one can see to Long Island Sound, but I’m not convinced that happens without help from binoculars. From the tower, Hartford’s urban forest is apparent. There are picnic tables at the top of Talcott Mountain, and judging by the number of families there, it’s safe to say that the hike is fine for children.
I can’t say the same for the hike to Pinnacle Rock from Route 66 in Middlefield. Rather, I’d suggest only taking one well-behaved and attentive child, if any, on this hike. It’s a bit steep, and the traprock rubble is easy to slip and slide on. The hike to Pinnacle Rock is not a long one. I think it took me twenty minutes. At the top, one false move means a long fall down. I know that some hikers have died falling off the cliff here. That should not discourage anyone from going there, just do the hike during the day when it is not raining, and stay away from the edge! I sat at the top for 30-45 minutes without seeing another person.
There’s graffiti up there including what looks to be a marriage proposal and one that reminds us that God sacrificed his only son. The latter message was painted over, but it’s somewhat legible still. There are also blueberries around the rocks. During my trip, I saw two eagles and was so excited about it that I could not get my camera out in time for a decent shot because I was so busy staring and going “holy crap! Eagles!” All I got was a blurry one of an eagle in the distance. I waited for awhile hoping they’d fly back over.
About once a year, I take a trip up to New Hartford for the sole purpose of dining at Passiflora. They have a great and unpretentious tea selection along with some of the best vegetarian food I’ve ever had (they serve meat dishes too). This time, I ordered a portabello with rosemary aioli sandwich. From there, I traveled over to the People’s State Forest. On my way up, I stopped off at Satan’s Kingdom State Recreation Area, also in New Hartford, off of Route 44. Apparently, it earned that name because back in the day this area was occupied by ruffians and criminals. There is a trail that goes alongside the Farmington River which is perfect for Deliverance reenactments. While people tubed down the river, oblivious to my presence, I was wishing that I could whistle “Dueling Banjos”. That would’ve been creepy to everyone except me probably. The walk happened to be muddy the day I went, but in the past, that was not the case.
One of the most interesting places I visited made that list only because I had grown up nearby without ever knowing about it. The Howard Porter reservoirs in Manchester have unpaved trails and few visitors, though graffiti near the water claims that naked swimming happens there. A sign also warns of ManBearPig.
I did not see much wildlife there, but a friend who goes regularly says he’s seen a lot of deer in clearings. This area is not far from I-384, in the area near Highland Park Market. A part of the trail goes by a swamp, so some people might want to douse themselves in bugspray.
As the summer has begun winding down, I decided that I have two goals for the next year or so. One is to visit every state park in Connecticut. The other is to hike all the trails mentioned in a book I have. The third is to visit every place in the state that has a funky name, like Devil’s Hopyard or Sodom Brook (two down!). This actually becomes more doable during the Fall and Spring when the weather is more conducive to physical activity, and when there is not a daily threat of thunderstorms. A goal that I have for other people is this– more women should feel able to walk alone. On my hikes and walks, I have encountered very few women doing solo hikes, and this is unfortunate.